The Ex are a Dutch underground band that formed in 1979 in Wormer and Amsterdam. In three decades as a band, they have moved from playing anarcho punk to post punk, jazz, folk and African music. They have collaborated on records with Chumbawamba, Dog Faced Hermans, Tortoise and Sonic Youth, improvisers like Tom Cora and the Instant Composers Pool and toured with African musicians Konono No. 1 and Getatchew Mekurya.
The band have released many albums on their own label, Ex Records. Members of The Ex also run small labels through which they release solo material and collaborations with other artists. These include Terrie Hessels' Terp Records, Andy Moor's Unsounds and Arnold de Boer's Makkum. The Ex distribute all these through their website, along with recordings and publications by founding member and former vocalist G.W. Sok.
Band members:
present
Terrie Hessels – guitar, baritone guitar (1979–present)
Katherina Bornefeld – drums, vocals, percussion (1984–present)
Andy Moor – guitar, baritone guitar (1990–present)
Arnold de Boer – vocals, guitar, samples (2009–present)
former
G.W. Sok – vocals (1979–2009)
Geurt van Gisteren – drums (1979–1981)
René de Groot – bass (1979–1980)
Bas Masbeck – bass (1980–1983)
Wim ter Weele – drums (1981–1982)
Sabien Witteman – drums (1982–1984)
Luc Klaasen – bass (1983–2002)
Yoke Laarman – bass (1983–1985)
Johannes van de Weert – vocals (1986–1987)
Nicolette Schuurman – guitar (1987–1989)
Colin McLean – bass (1993–1994, 2005, 2012)
Han Buhrs – vocals (1995–1997)
Han Bennink – drums (1997)
Rozemarie Heggen – double bass (2003–2005)
Massimo Pupillo – bass (2005).
"Dignity Of Labour" by The Ex was originally released as a four 7" singles box-set in 1983 on VGZ Records. The CD reissue was released in a thin cardboard box in 1995 on Ex Records and included a 24-page booklet and a 61 x 43 cm folded poster (promo picture with lyrics in English and Dutch).
The songs were recorded at the Van Gelder ruins and are about the rise and fall of papermill Van Gelder in Wormer.
Tracklisting:
1. Sucked Out Chucked Out 1
2. Sucked Out Chucked Out 2
3. Sucked Out Chucked Out 3
4. Sucked Out Chucked Out 4
5. Sucked Out Chucked Out 5
6. Sucked Out Chucked Out 6
7. Sucked Out Chucked Out 7
8. Sucked Out Chucked Out 8
VBR ~284K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"1936 The Spanish Revolution" by The Ex was originally released in 1986 on Ex Records as a double EP of Spanish Civil War songs, together with a 144 page black and white book with lyrics and with photographs and essays of the uprising in Catalonia in Dutch and English language. In 1997 "1936 The Spanish Revolution" was reissued as 2xCD on Ex Records and Ravijn.
Tracks:
1 ¡No pasarán! was used during the Spanish Civil War at the Siege of Madrid by Dolores Ibárruri Gómez, a member of the Communist Party of Spain, in her famous "No pasarán" speech on 18 July 1936
2 the song is known in numerous versions, lyrics are all adapted from the traditional "Los Contrabandistas De Ronda"
3 the lyrics are taken from an interview with CNT day-labourer Juan Moreno in Blood Of Spain by Ronald Fraser
4 popular song sung by the Spanish partisans in the fight against Napoleon's army in 1808.
Tracklisting:
1. They Shall Not Pass
2. El Tren Blindado
3. Ay Carmela
4. People Again
VBR ~293K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
The Ex's "Hands Up! You're Free" is a collection of three studio sessions for John Peel's BBC radio show. The album was originally released on vinyl in 1988 on Ex Records and reissued in 2003 on Ex Records.
Tracks:
1-4 session 1 recorded 4 September 1983
5-8 session 2 recorded 24 November 1985
9-12 session 3 recorded 30 November 1986.
All sessions were at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London, England.
Tracklisting:
1. Crap-Rap
2. U.S. Hole
3. Pleased To Meat You
4. Scrub That Scum
5. Choice
6. Hands Up! You're Free
7. Butter Or Bombs
8. Uh-Oh Africa
9. Knock
10. Ignorance
11. A Job/Stupid
12. Business As Usual
VBR ~265K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"The 6 Series: 6.1 - 6.6" by The Ex was released in 1991 on Ex Records.
This is the complete box set including the six 7" singles and the 12" EP, set in the original die-cut box for the singles and with all the inserts:
- one 24-page Kurdistan booklet
- one 12-page booklet with "exography"
- two posters (one is two-sided)
- eighteen inserts (most are two-sided)
- one 12" jacket, seven 7" color-sleeves and a screen-printed shopping bag.
6.1 comes with the die-cut box and the shopping bag.
6.2 comes with leaflets, a sticker and a Kurdistan booklet.
6.3 comes with leaflets about Steunpunt Zetten, a poster and a sticker.
6.4 comes with leaflets and a sticker. The two 7" records have separate sleeves (but 6.4¹ and 6.4² were not separately released).
6.5 comes with a poster, leaflets and a sticker.
6.6 includes sheets about the dangers of the Schengen Treaty, an empty 7" single sleeve with a sticker and a button. The runout groove of side N has etchings of Superman-style cops, workers, journalists and politicians.
Stickers can be glued to the back of the die-cut box as indicated by The Ex.
All the sleeve designs are based on a poster by Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956).
Tracks:
1-2 6.1
3-4 6.2
5-7 6.3 with track 7 recorded live for Radio Mondain, Den Haag (The Hague), 22 October 1990
8-11 6.4
12-13 6.5
14-15 6.6.
Tracklisting:
1. Slimy Toad
2. Jake's Cake
3. Millîtan
4. Çemê Rynê
5. THidegen Fujnák A Szelek
6. She Said
7. She Said (Live)
8. A Pretty Cattle Office
9. Shopping Street
10. Wolter 'N' Andy
11. Kat 'N' Ab
12. This Song Is In English
13. Dit Lied Is In 't Engels
14. Euroconfusion
15. A Bird In The Hand
VBR ~244K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"Een Rondje Holland" by Ex Orkest is a live album, released in 2001 on Ex Records.
Ex Orkest is a special project, contrived, compiled and arranged by The Ex, at the request of the Holland Festival 2000.
Members:
Terrie (guitar), G.W. Sok (vocals), Luc (acoustic bass), Andy (guitar), Katrin (drums, vocals), Jaap Blonk (vocals), Han Buhrs (vocals), Jan Mulder (vocals), Roy Paci (trumpet), Felicity Provan (trumpet), Wilf Plum (drums), Michael Vatcher (drums, percussion), Ferry Heyne (valve trombone, trumpet, tuba), Wolter Wierbos (trombone), Joost Buis (trombone), Michael Moore (saxophone, clarinet), Wilbert de Joode (double-bass), Ernst Glerum (double-bass), Gert-Jan Blom (singing saw, groove-box), Hamish McKeich (director, electric bassoon).
"Symfonie Voor Machines" (track 3) is based on the piece "Zavod" (The Iron Foundry) by Alexander Mossolov (1900-1973), a suite from the ballet "Stal" (Steel, Opus 19, 1926), arranged by The Ex for Ex Orkest.
Recorded live on 8 June (Paradiso, Amsterdam), 9 June (Vooruit, Gent), 10 June (Moers Festival, Germany) and 11 June 2000 (NPS/Paradisolife, Amsterdam).
Tracklisting:
1. De Weg
2. Kokend Asfalt
3. Symfonie Voor Machines
4. Meer Nieuws
5. Spruitjes
6. Een Rondje Holland
7. Gronings Liedje
8. My Happiness
9. Rosenkohl
10. Uitgeest
11. Stukverdriet
12. De Klokkenluider
VBR ~234K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
The Ex's "Singles. Period. (The Vinyl Years 1980-1990)" is a compilation album, released in 2005 on Ex Records.
Tracks:
1-4 7" All Corpses Smell The Same, released in 1980
5 7" split with Lullabies, Rakketax, Noxious and Nixe, Utregpunx, released in 1980
6-7 7" New Horizons In Retailing, released in 1980
8-10 7" War Is Over (Weapons For El Salvador), released in 1981
11 7" split with Svätsox and De Groeten, Villa Zuid Moet Blijven!, released in 1981
12-15 12" Gonna Rob The Spermbank, released in 1983
16-17 12" split with Alerta, The Red Dance Package, released in 1983
18 7" split with Awara, Enough Is Enough/Love, released in 1984
19-20 7" Rara Rap, released in 1988
21-22 7" Lied Der Steinklopfer/Stonestampers Song, released in 1990
23 7" split with The Mekons, Crap Rap/Keep On Hoppin', released in 1990.
Tracklisting:
1. Human Car
2. Rock'n'Roll-Stoel
3. Cells
4. Apathy Disease
5. Stupid Americans
6. Money
7. Curtains
8. Weapons For El Salvador
9. Dust
10. New Wars 2
11. Constitutional State
12. Gonna Rob The Spermbank
13. When Nothing Else Is Helpful Anymore
14. Memberhips
15. Trash
16. Crap-Rap
17. Long Live The Aged
18. Enough Is Enough
19. Rara Rap
20. Contempt
21. Stonestampers Song
22. Lied Der Steinklopfer
23. Keep On Hoppin'
VBR ~273K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
The Ex's "At Bimhuis (1991-2015)" is a live compilation album, released in 2015 on Ex Records.
Tracks:
1-4 The Ex & Guests 26/09/1991
5-10 October Meeting 23/10/1991
11-13 Han Buhrs Podiumprijs 11/12/1993
14-17 Ex Orkest 27/04/2002
18-20 The Ex & Friends 06-07-2012
21 New Years Eve Party 31/12/2010
22 33 1/3 Festival 21/12/2012
23 Jeugdvoorstelling (Youth Concert) 17/05/2015
24 33 1/3 Festival 21/12/2012.
Tracklisting:
1. Flutes Tale
2. Shopping Street
3. Pretty Cattle Office
4. Lied Der Steinklopfer
5. Invitation To Dance
6. Kimmel
7. Sonic Broom
8. The Early Bird's Worm
9. Ex Guitars 'n' Han
10. Kat 'n' Han
11. Dear House
12. New Clear Daze
13. Oh Puckerlips Now
14. Symphony For Machines
15. Gronings Liedje
16. Suction Prints
17. Lale Guma
18. Shellelle
19. Abbay Abbay/Aynamaye Nesh
20. Aha Gedawo
21. Bourgeois Blues
22. 24 Problems
23. Every Sixth Is Cracked
24. Gondar
VBR ~252K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
